'Transformative' Rancho Cucamonga-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail project set to break ground in 2024
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (KABC) -- The Cucamonga Station is about to undergo a major renovation.
Brightline West's high-speed rail will soon be pulling in to the transit station connecting Rancho Cucamonga and the high desert to Las Vegas. It will be the first fully electric high-speed passenger train in the Western United States.
"Through this transformative, project $5 billion of construction and investments are expected in San Bernardino County alone," said Elisa Cox, Rancho Cucamonga's assistant city manager.
The investment is also expected to support 11,000 jobs in the region, to build the more than 200 miles of the high-speed rail that will transport travelers from the Los Angeles area to Las Vegas within an estimated two hours.
In addition, the Cucamonga Station will be transformed into a true multimodal transit center that will connect passengers to points beyond the Inland Empire via Metrolink, Omnitrans commuter buses, and to the Ontario International Airport through a 4-mile underground tunnel.
"We're going to see a transformation to a station that is truly a world class facility," said Dr. Ray Wolfe with the San Bernardino County Transit Authority
On Friday, President Joe Biden announced billions in federal funding for ten passenger rail projects with Brightline West's high speed rail project receiving $3-billion.
Officials say the combination of high-speed rail and a multimodal transit center will be a catalyst for increased tourism and economic growth for the Inland Empire in the years to come.
"Projects such as Brightline and the Cucamonga Station are going to generate billions of dollars in economic activity and tens of thousands of jobs," said Atif Elkadi, CEO of Ontario International Airport.
The $12-billion project is expected to break ground in early 2024 and completed in four years -- in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
